Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning application documents: what to read first
Understand planning application documents, officer reports and decision notices. Use a reading checklist, document table and worked example to inspect a case.
Scotland · Local authority
Orkney Islands
Planning applications.
Explore collected planning applications and decisions for Orkney Islands. Search an address, application reference or proposal to find a record.
Collected application statistics
Collected records · All available dates11,981Searchable applications
138Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 10,075 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,641 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 24 Sept 1979 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 17 Oct 2026. Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.
Local planning information
Council sources checked 14 Sept 2026Planning information Planning and BuildingLocal plan Development and Marine Planning (policy)Pre-application advice Pre-application AdviceConservation areas Conservation Area Consent
Council contacts
- Planning enquiries01856873535Council source
- Planning enquiriesplanning@orkney.gov.ukCouncil source
Contact details were found on council pages. Check the source for opening hours and which enquiries the service handles.
Conservation areas and Article 4 directions
Explore published planning boundaries and follow their source records for designation details. Coverage varies: an empty map does not mean there are no restrictions. Check the council’s current maps and documents before relying on a boundary.
Conservation areas6 mapped area records
Article 4 direction areasBoundary dataset not connected
Interactive planning map loads with JavaScript. Dataset sources are linked below.
Download Article 4 coverage for all authorities (CSV)
Data downloaded 14 Sept 2026. Display boundaries are simplified and indicative. Map record counts are not a complete count of designations or directions.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland. Contains Historic Environment Scotland and Ordnance Survey data © Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925 © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data is indicative and may not contain the latest designations.
More application records
- Decided99/559/PPF
Extension to a house
Rohaven Annfield Crescent Kirkwall
Received 2 Dec 1999 - Decided99/558/LBC
Partial Demolition of a farm building within curtilage of Mill
Mill Of Rango Sandwick
Received 30 Nov 1999 - Decided99/557/PPF
Change of use and conversion from store building to chapel and prayer cells
Herring Station Building (former) Papa Stronsay
Received 30 Nov 1999 - Decided99/556/PPF
Erection of a house
Langskaill (near) Glaitness Road Kirkwall
Received 3 Dec 1999 - Decided99/554/PPF
Alterations to a House
The Meadow Sanday
Received 3 Dec 1999 - Decided99/553/PPF
Erection of a Conservatory
Noltland Berstane Road Kirkwall
Received 25 Nov 1999 - Decided99/551/PPF
Erection of a Greenhouse
Girvan Cottage Sanday
Received 23 Nov 1999 - Decided99/549/PPF
Erection of a Slatted Court
Honeysgoe South Ronaldsay
Received 23 Nov 1999 - Decided99/548/PPF
Erection of 2 Chalets
Neviskerry Scapa St Ola
Received 16 Nov 1999 - Decided99/547/PPF
Extension to a House
No 2 Coastguards Houses Cromwell Road Kirkwall KW15 1LN
Received 16 Nov 1999 - Decided99/545/PPF
Erection of a House
Upper Knarston Rousay
Received 23 Nov 1999 - Decided99/544/RPF
Refurbishment of 4 Industrial Sites
Knowles & NOSWA Depots Crowness Crescent Hatston Kirkwall
Received 15 Nov 1999 - Decided99/543/PPF
Formation of 4 sites for housing development
Maurinda (near) Scapa St Ola
Received 15 Nov 1999 - Decided99/542/PPO
Siting of 4 house sites
Scapa Bay (near) St Ola
Received 15 Nov 1999 - Decided99/541/PPF
Refurbishment of a former cottage
Trenabie Mills Westray
Received 15 Nov 1999 - Decided99/540/RPF
Alterations and Landscaping to a Parking Area
Ayre Road car park Ayre Road Kirkwall
Received 15 Nov 1999 - Decided99/539/RPF
Alterations to a Parking Area
Ferry Inn Car Park Stromness
Received 15 Nov 1999 - Decided99/538/PPF
Siting of a Waste Water Treatment System
Salmon Factory Crowness Point Hatston Kirkwall
Received 11 Nov 1999 - Decided99/536/PPF
Extension and Alteration to a House
Hillcrest Orphir
Received 11 Nov 1999 - Decided99/535/RPF
Erection of a Ferry Terminal Building & Waiting Room
Ferry Terminal Houton Orphir
Received 10 Nov 1999 - Decided99/534/PPF
Installation of Dormer Windows
3 George Street Kirkwall
Received 10 Nov 1999 - Decided99/533/PPF
Erection of a building for Waste Processing & Storage
OFS Ltd Garson Industrial Estate Stromness
Received 10 Nov 1999 - Decided99/532/PPF
Demolish part of a Flat to Form One House
Willowdene Willow Road Kirkwall
Received 10 Nov 1999 - Decided99/255/PPF
Sand extraction of 800 tonnes per year
North Of Acres South Ronaldsay
Received 23 Jun 1999
Records are ordered by application ID, not submission date. Use search to find a particular address or proposal.
View all applicationsResearching a proposal in Orkney Islands
Start with the address or application reference. Open a record to read the proposal, dates and available documents, then check the official register for the latest plans and consultation details. If nothing appears, check coverage before treating the result as a complete planning history.
Planning procedures in Scotland differ from those in England. Use the authority’s own guidance for application requirements, comments and decision timescales.
How to search planning applicationsGuides to planning records
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What these statistics cover
These figures describe applications collected by PlanningTrack for Orkney Islands, across all dates currently available. They are a partial dataset, rather than an authority-wide performance measure. The date range does not establish continuous historical coverage.
The approval percentage is approved records divided by approved plus refused records. Pending, withdrawn and unknown outcomes are excluded. No percentage is shown until there is an approved or refused record.
Check collection coverage